The Oil Gusher April 2012

[robertsloan2]

LOL on the hoarding, Steve! I can understand it - you have a house with a garage and two extra bedrooms so you didn't hit any natural limits earlier. Or is one of them the bedroom your DW has to share and sleep in? You might have to do some of that DIY and build an add-on studio to your house.

I've been limited by living in one room for a long time now, so it isn't that bad by a long shot. However, half my stuff is still in Arkansas because it cost so much to have it shipped by UPS. I'm going to have to send some money to my daughter to start sending the other boxes soon.

My outing to Golden Gate Park on Monday was incredible! Reba's my friend, can't remember her username but it's related to her name and she answers to Reba sometimes in threads. Sometimes we hang out in the pastels forum and sometimes on other forums, not sure which ones at the moment. She's another Johannes Vloothuis student and we hung out together in chat at Johannes demos plenty of times too.

She's retired and lives on the coast near the city, about 15 miles away. So the first thing we did together after she showed up was roll down into the garage and have a go at heaving my power chair into the back seat of her little convertible together. It worked! With both of us lifting it, we managed to get it in and then out again, though I need to bring a towel because it did scratch her car a little. I feel bad that I couldn't just give her $50 to have the scratches out, maybe I can later on if I keep selling the plein air paintings.

She got delayed in traffic so I waited out in front of the museum and sketched one of two Art Deco sphinx statues. I now know I need to pack a 6B or 8B or other really dark sketch pencil in my pocket when I go out, because using the HB lead I went too fine and the graphite one didn't scan easily. So we checked on whether she could drive me around to plein air spots around the coast she likes going and then went back up by the museum.

Right near it - literally walking distance even for me - was this gorgeous little garden with a pond, a memorial garden. It had a wide granite lip around the pond and all the plantings in the island in the center including bronze statues of two panthers and Pan. So we slowly rolled around taking 300+ photos of the garden and some other statues near it and then went back to the vantage spot both of us liked best near a big purplish boulder.

I brought 20 Pan Pastels in two 10 color trays, my 10 color Painters Set and the colors from 5 Tints set and 5 Deep Dark Shades sets, testing whether that was a good combination for plein air. It rocked. I'll continue to recommend it. Reba brought all 80 of hers in four big trays and with that great big granite lip, we had a natural drawing table spread for us by the garden's designer. I think when we go to other areas I'll need to bring a blanket so we can sit cross legged on the blanket with supplies spread out. That might solve the problem of needing something to set out supplies on while I'm using my chair.

Either that or I need to get a very cheap very lightweight table that can travel well and fold up small.

We had a wonderful time. Both of us felt the same way. We just met in person for the first time and it was as if I'd known her for years. I think she was as starved for a painting buddy as I was. The last thing she said as we were saying goodbye was to shout "We have to do this again!" with a big smile.

I adore her. She's sweet and lively and creative and fun to be with. We talked a mile a minute and then fell into a half hour of total concentration on painting with no feeling of being rude - it was just incredible the way the silences were as rich as the conversation. She critiqued my painting and I critiqued hers, both of us really helped each other.

My painting just sold this morning, record speed for my posting a painting on Etsy since I only posted it yesterday afternoon. It was the best plein air painting I've ever done.

I have a tendency to overpack as well as hoard, but I learned a good runaround for it. If I choose a smaller bag without as much volume inside, then I don't pack everything in the studio and then some. I'll pack whatever fits in the bag and my pockets and then stop. I've got a big messenger bag that I've used for several moves for "supplies to have with me right away" but when it's full I can barely lift it. The little portfolio I bought to carry finished matted art to go out selling street art was perfect.

It also worked as a good trial run for renewing my Street Artist License. I went out using Paratransit and the power chair. If I do that when I get my street art license renewed, I won't be on my feet too long and wreck my back and bad leg.

What's really bizarre is that I'm finding out there are some things I can do with a bad back that in general would be recommended against. Depending on how I do it I can lift things - as long as I'm not doing it for too long or too many times in a row. I can help wrangle the chair into the building. I could and did wrangle it into Reba's car with her help without throwing my back.

I think using the power chair is going to let me get some better upper body strength. It's trading a dangerous form of exercise for one I can do with care. I have noticed that my arms are getting thicker in the past couple of months since I got it - and I think that's from the times I wrangle it getting it into the elevator, or out the door, or back inside if someone's helping me.

The biggest problem for my back is staying on my feet too long. The biggest distortions are in my lower back, while I get neck tension from stress or from doing some things or trying to bend over too long, just bending and lifting something once does not wreck it. Weird how that works but I'm not complaining at all.

I got a little bit sunburned but not so bad that it peeled. Two days later it's just turned into a light tan. It was mostly overcast while we were out there or I probably would've come back looking like a lobster. I need to buy a good wide brim hat that doesn't cost much.

[oldrockchick]

Steve- thanks for useful info - i guess it's just a case of managing. I do have my armchair set up where I do most things.

lol on the hoarding - I inhereted it. When dad died and mum wnet into a home and had to give up the family home of 30+years you wouldn't believe the stuff we had to shift. Mine and my bro's childhood and family heirlooms were shared between us. Then i moved again and stoed a lot in a garage as I lost my loft - had to shift it and lost a lot then.

Finally when I moved to my bungalow I realised just how much crap I'd also accumulated a lot of stuff we took 3 van loads to the dump, 2 car loads to charity shops to start with!! i did lose some stuff I wanted to keep for sentimental reasons - I think Dave got bin bags mixed up and it probably wnet to the dump or shop. i lost Andy's cub uniform with all his badges he had earned and some barge brasses from festivals and some chimes I bought when I was in Alsace.

Now I'm accumulating clutter - AGAIN
Only now it is a colelction of frames and mounts that dont' match and none of it matches with my paintings!!

Spending today having a sort out. Got a small workstation for the desktop to replace my old workdesk as i can no longer sit at it. it broke into 3 - a shelf bit, a drawer and a top. The top I insisted got kept but hasn't got a home so is stuck behind the lounge door! The drawers I moved next to the desk and the shelves are going into the corner of Dave's room in the little spot he lets me use for my oil painting easel.

All ther different pads and papers and stuff fits nicely into the workstation with the sketchbooks.

Still have stuff everywhere and the place is a total mess but my energy levels have now plummeted for today.

So very very sleepy.

I'm currently hosting the Scavenger Hunt and it was great to see 2 ladies met up in New York and did the hunt together with their sketch books - how awesome is that!? And from my lsit too - a REAL LIFE Scavenger Hunt!

I envy you Robert having someone to go sketching with - it sounds like a fantastic day out and fruitful too as you sold a painting! ensure you rest after the outings but is is wonderful now you have this new life.

I'm also hosting Weekend Drawing Event tomorrow.. So come join in... I know Hal will be there... and I've sorted the refs for the May OP too!

busy busy busy

[CandAlArt]

Robert, Lovely description of your great day with a new art partner!! Yippee for your new life, eh? Congrats on the sale as well.

[halthepainter]

Well done Robert. Great plein air, a sale, it looks as if you've found your place of bliss.

[ullahennig]

Robert, I enjoyed reading your description of your great day and I hope you have many many more days like this one! And congratulations on the sale!
Lin, I will have a look for the Weekend Drawing Event and I am looking forward to the refs of the May OP!
I've got three Faber-Castell creative studio oil pastels yesterday - could not resist. Three different shades of brown.

[Pat Isaac]

What a great day, Robert. Thanks for the details and gongrats on the painting sale....a real plus to cap off a wonderful day.

Pat

[oldrockchick]

Ulla - I found the FC Studio very hard and crumbly - for hard ones I like Daler Rowney. They are good for the first layers though.

Here is the link for the WDE - you could try out your new OPs...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/show....php?t=1097742

Another wet and gloomy day today. This weather makes me feel lethargic.

Got a delivery of paper today and it is so big it won't fit in my boiler cupboard so I've had to store it in plasticc bag under the bed.

room is looking a bit tidier now.

Just going to do a bit for the WDE then continue on my piece for UKCPS

[Shirl Parker]

Lin, they make nice plastic boxes for underbid storage. That would probably be handy for both you and Robert. Of course, a trash bag is cheaper, but not as easy to manipulate, I would think.

[oldrockchick]

My desk workstation looks so much tidier now - the dining table has all frames mounts and paintings studffed under it and none of them fit each other.

[Pat Isaac]

Nice little work station you have there,Lin.
It is possible DH will be coming home tomorrow....that would be great. and daughter fro MD arriving this evening for several days.

Pat

[oldrockchick]

Originally Posted by Shirl Parker

Lin, they make nice plastic boxes for underbid storage. That would probably be handy for both you and Robert. Of course, a trash bag is cheaper, but not as easy to manipulate, I would think.

great idea Shirl i'll look out for one - although my bed is a divan so only a low clearance so it needs to be thin.

Well - finally found a frame to fit one piece that I had already comp-leted to enter for the UKCPS show. I have one started on - a portrait and I've been workign through the other to a stage where it looks 3/4 done... BUT when I started it I thought i hadn't got any Stonehenge paper so had to use some heavy weight Fabriano wc paper. It's a fight to the bitter endl. the paper keeps scuffin. It will take the layers but its surface is so delicate quite frankly it is doing my head in and soon I will have to stop.

off to bed soon - thought I'd pop in to check out the WDE

Pat - for your hubby - will be great to have him home

[oldrockchick]

so tired - want to paint but didn't get up till 3 - weather is abyssmal today - managed to get outside and it stayed dry long enough (5 mins) to spray varnish an oil painting which I have now mounted for the exhibition.

NOTHING FITS ANYTHING - agh!!!!!

other than that and posting my WDE painting I've done nothing and I'm knackered!!!!!!!!!

[robertsloan2]

Congratulations on all that organizing, Lin! Your workspace looks so tidy. Great photo. I've got a solution for all those frames that don't fit.

I used to collect and scavenge frames when I lived in the French Quarter. I would then go on a mat cutting binge and cut fancy mats combining two or three colours, different designs and cut shapes and so on, to fit the frames. Then I'd stash these mat-and-frame combinations and on days I wanted to paint but didn't know what I wanted to do - pick a frame and mat combination and use that for my starting point.

Whatever colours I'd done the mat in, I'd key the painting's colour harmony to fit that mat. I'd use the mat itself to mark off the painting space on my paper and sometimes painted on mat scrap, same thing though. Just run a pencil round the inside of the mat and use that for the shape of the picture. Then choose a subject that fit that space and palette.

It's the same sort of challenge as deciding to use a limited palette or something. I especially liked cutting oval mats once I got my oval mat cutter and working within an oval space. I haven't done that with my new Logan oval mat cutter but I just might - it would be fun to try that again. I always liked the antique paintings, pastoral scenes or hunt scenes that they'd do in an oval opening, old engravings and watercolours.

So there's my suggestion to diminish the heap of mismatched frames. Fit them with really nice mats that have unusual openings and then use those as a starting point for paintings.

Over the past weeks since I got the beautiful big dresser, I've been steadily reorganizing all my supplies and moving things around the room. Every time my home care workers came over, I'd work on it with them, especially a substitute fellow that came in last week and my Saturday genius, Joy.

We did it. This afternoon we got everything sorted. I have a moderate stack of supplies right in reach and I can get at everything else easily on shelves or in drawers, the stuff I use most in the ones that are easiest to get at. Most of all I finally got rid of the extra under-bed tub that was sitting on the floor in front of the dresser.

It's sat out in the middle of the floor since I moved in. I had all of them full of stuff for a while. Three weeks ago I wrestled them all out from under the bed and stacked them in front of the dresser to get through them one by one. I emptied them and put them back under there except the last one has my shrink wrap system in it (the one easiest to get out.)

Now even the last one is empty and tucked up vertical behind the television till I need it again. My room is spotless. I live in a studio with a bed in it, but now it's a clean well organized studio with a good parking space for my power scooter and my rollator serving as an extra end table for putting the "supplies in reach" stack. I keep that in check so that it's easy to move off the rollator in one trip when I want to use the rollator.

I love it. Every time Joy gets this room that clean - vacuumed, dusted, washed, stuff more organized - it feels as if I'm making a fresh start in life. Most often I didn't have this kind of cleanliness except during the brief time right after a move when I'd gotten it all put away but there wasn't time for filth to accumulate yet. Joy actually washes down things and dusts, so it really gets nice because she maintains it.

I feel so spoiled. It's a fantastic feeling. I'm tired because I worked right along with her today in the final sorting but wow, it was so worth it!

Purr and thank you to everyone! Hal, you put it best. I found my place of bliss. I'm home. This is where I belong. Every week and month I settle in a little deeper and feel the roots that I put down all those decades ago pulsing with life and potential. Here I can thrive.

[oldrockchick]

It is a great feeling when things are organised.

Weather is abyssmal again... althought they declared a 'drought' and a hose pipe ban we have had 2 days of high winds and torrential rain and the wettest April on record with flood warnuings - go figure!!!!
It has been so wet, dull and depressing all week it has been dark during the day. I have felt totally depleted. I didn't even go on my shopping trip to town which I love because I pootle round the market chatting to the stallholders and little shopkeepers I have got to know as a regular. Apart from going out to my radio show on Tuesday I've been nowhere and seen no one.

Energy levels have been rock bottom. I've been all fired up with creativity and no ernergy to do anything. Despite sleeping all through after I got off at past 3 am last night, my eyes are so sore and can barely stay open. The wind and rain on my window was so loud last night it reminded me of being in a tent on the cliffs in Wales. Noisy! The drizzle is running down the windows and I see the trees blowing violently. It's great having so many windows, in fact one 'wall' at this end of the room is ceiling to floow window/door and annother half wall of full length window. The downside is seeing the aweful weather and feeling almost like I'm out in it. There is also a draft round my neck where i sit when it is windy.

I'm feeling really miserable as this weather does NOT suit me. I can feel a really 'tense' head - not headache - just like it is going to burst especially behind my eyes. I swear it is this bloody weather.

On Facebook everyone, all ages seem to be equally lazy and miserable.

YUK!!!

Robert - I do plan to work to the mounts I have. I can't cut mounts to frames as i wouldn't have the first clue how to get a lovely neat 90 degree/square angle bevelled edge, even if I had the equipment. I also doubt I'd have the physical strength to cut the board. I've never been shown how to do these things. I dont' really know how to frame properly, really. I just open up the back and insert as I would a photo.

[halthepainter]

Originally Posted by robertsloan2

Purr and thank you to everyone! Hal, you put it best. I found my place of bliss. I'm home. This is where I belong. Every week and month I settle in a little deeper and feel the roots that I put down all those decades ago pulsing with life and potential. Here I can thrive.

Robert, I'm delighted for you. You've found where you belong.

I feel the same way about New Hampshire. I so love it here.

Yesterday was the 52nd anniversary, Germaine, my wife, has tolerated me as her husband..... Amazing..


an old slide from 52 years ago.